Chapter 21: Problem 27
Let \(\alpha=3+4 i+7 j+k\) and \(\beta=2-3 i+j-k\) be quaternions. Calculate \(\alpha \beta\) and \(\alpha / \beta\).
Short Answer
Expert verified
Question: Calculate the product and division of the quaternions \(\alpha = 3 + 4i + 7j + k\) and \(\beta = 2 - 3i + j - k\).
Answer: The product of the quaternions is \(\alpha \beta = -23 - 7i - 9j + 9k\), and the division of the quaternions is \(\alpha / \beta = -1 + \frac{17}{15}i + \frac{2}{5}k\).
Step by step solution
01
Review quaternion multiplication rules
Quaternions are an extension of complex numbers and consist of a scalar part and a vector part. The quaternion multiplication follows these rules:
1. Scalars multiply with scalars and vectors using the distributive property.
2. The product of two vector parts follows the rules of cross product.
3. \(i^2 = j^2 = k^2 = ijk = -1\)
02
Multiply \(\alpha\) and \(\beta\)
Using the rules from Step 1, we can multiply the quaternions:
\(\alpha \beta = (3+4i+7j+k)(2-3i+j-k)\)
Now, expand the product and combine the terms:
\(\alpha \beta = 6 - 9i + 3j - k + 8i^2 - 12ij + 4ik + 14ij - 21i^2 + 7j^2 - k^2 + 2ik - 3k^2\)
03
Simplify the product
We need to apply the rules for simplifying quaternion products:
\(\alpha \beta = 6 - 9i + 3j - k - 8 - 12ij + 4ik - 21 - 7 - k^2 + 2ik + 3k^2\)
Combine the like terms:
\(\alpha \beta = -23 + (-9+2)i+ (-12+3)j+(4-1+6)k\)
Therefore,
\(\alpha \beta = -23 - 7i - 9j + 9k\)
04
Find the inverse of \(\beta\)
The inverse of quaternion \(\beta\) can be found by dividing the conjugate of \(\beta\) by the squared norm of \(\beta\):
\(\beta^{-1} = \frac{\text{Conj}(\beta)}{||\beta||^2}\)
The conjugate of \(\beta\) is:
\(\text{Conj}(\beta) = 2+3i-j+k\)
The squared norm of \(\beta\) is:
\(||\beta||^2 = 2^2+(-3)^2+1^2+(-1)^2=4+9+1+1=15\)
So, the inverse of \(\beta\) is:
\(\beta^{-1}=\frac{1}{15}(2+3i-j+k)\)
05
Calculate \(\alpha / \beta\)
We can now find the division \(\alpha / \beta\) by multiplying \(\alpha\) with \(\beta^{-1}\):
\(\alpha / \beta = \alpha \cdot \beta^{-1} = (3+4i+7j+k) \cdot \frac{1}{15}(2+3i-j+k)\)
Now, expand the product, apply the rules from Step 1 and simplify:
\(\alpha / \beta = \frac{1}{15}(6+9i-3j+3k+8i^2-12ij+4ik+14ij-7j^2-21i^2+k^2+2ik-3k^2) \)
\(\alpha / \beta= \frac{1}{15}(-15+17i-k+7k)\)
Finally,
\(\alpha / \beta = -1 + \frac{17}{15}i + \frac{6}{15}k\)
Which can be written as:
\(\alpha / \beta = -1 + \frac{17}{15}i + \frac{2}{5}k\)
Unlock Step-by-Step Solutions & Ace Your Exams!
-
Full Textbook Solutions
Get detailed explanations and key concepts
-
Unlimited Al creation
Al flashcards, explanations, exams and more...
-
Ads-free access
To over 500 millions flashcards
-
Money-back guarantee
We refund you if you fail your exam.
Over 30 million students worldwide already upgrade their learning with 91Ó°ÊÓ!
Key Concepts
These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.
Quaternion Multiplication
Quaternions extend complex numbers by introducing three imaginary units: \( i, j, \) and \( k \). Like complex numbers, quaternions have a real part and imaginary parts, but they expand into three dimensions. This makes quaternion multiplication unique. Here's how it works:
- Use the distributive property. Multiply each part of the first quaternion by each part of the second.
- Combine like terms, considering that \( i^2 = j^2 = k^2 = ijk = -1 \).
- Cross product rules apply to imaginary units when multiplying (e.g., \( ij = k \)).
Quaternion Division
Division of quaternions is not as straightforward as division of real numbers. It involves multiplication with an inverse. Here's how to proceed:
- First, find the inverse of the divisor quaternion.
- Multiply the dividend quaternion by this inverse.
Quaternion Inverse
To divide quaternions, you need the inverse of the divisor. The inverse of a quaternion is like a reciprocal in the sense of division. Here is the process:
- Find the conjugate of the quaternion. The conjugate of \( \beta = 2 - 3i + j - k \) is \( \text{Conj}(\beta) = 2 + 3i - j + k \).
- Calculate the norm squared: \( ||\beta||^2 = 2^2 + (-3)^2 + 1^2 + (-1)^2 = 15 \).
- Now, use the formula for the inverse: \( \beta^{-1} = \frac{\text{Conj}(\beta)}{||\beta||^2} \).
Complex Numbers Extension
Quaternions extend complex numbers by introducing three dimensions of imaginary numbers. This extension enriches the mathematical toolkit, allowing for calculations in four-dimensional space. While complex numbers use just one imaginary unit \( i \), quaternions use \( i, j, \) and \( k \).
- Quaternion rules like \( i^2 = j^2 = k^2 = ijk = -1 \) provide new ways to approach problems.
- They are extremely useful in three-dimensional computations like rotations in computer graphics.